Danse de Feu
by ii-V-I
Summary: Draco has made some horrible mistakes in life but non worse than those concerning love. Can one fire dance change that? Based on a song I wrote recently. One Shot. I don't own HP. *re uploaded thanks for the tip about the formatting*


/* Danse de feu /* this story is based on a song I wrote recently

Draco sat staring into his near empty glass of firewhiskey. Glass number three found him wondering how things had gotten so bad. Draco's feet began to carry him as him thoughts swam in the alcohol he'd drank.

At twenty three, he had failed at so much, he had failed to keep his promise to her, one of the only two women who had mattered in his life (including his mum), he had failed to produce an heir pure of blood or not, he had failed to keep his father alive (an aneurysm had taken him just six months ago). Draco had filed for divorce the next day and the public rage had been splashed across the Prophet. How dare this heartless death eater leave his sweet wife? She was his only redeeming quality. Her warm smile and her lavish public parties were her claim to fame, and the reason the Malfoys had been welcome back into society. Her expensive tastes and cold heart had made her all the more difficult to deal with.

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They had just graduated after finishing eighth year when Draco brought his fiancée to meet his family for the first time. Narcissa had been pleased Draco had found true love. To her it had only been an added bonus that his witch of choice happened to be one of the most popular witches in Wizarding Britain at the time. Lucius had insisted that he had already arranged a suitable match for Draco, an obedient girl of high birth. Lucius had threatened Draco with everything; disowning, burning him off the tapestry, disinheriting him, effectively leaving him penniless, still Draco had not relented. It was only after Lucius had threatened to kill her, and a gift of wormwood, cypress and black rose had been found throught her house that the threat was taken seriously. She said they could run away but he couldn't risk her life and so he broke her heart to keep her safe. Lucius further exploited this weakness and six months later he was married to Astoria.

Many a moon had met Draco in the window of his study staring out at the grounds drunk on firewhiskey cursing himself for not eloping. Many a day passed with the reminder of the pressure to produce an air. Astoria could feign niceties when she wanted something; money for shopping or when she was attempting to seduce Draco. Sex with Astoria was as cold as a glacius charm in December. Draco found it a chore and it was just one other thing he hated about his life. His life was a ruse. Nothing about it was real, never could be again without her. She tried to move on. She even dated an acquaintance from school for sometime but it never worked out. Nothing ever did for her. Eventually she left Wizarding Britain. No one knew where she went. Any attempt to contact her via owl returned unread. Not even her close friends and family knew where she was. Lucius died unexpectedly leaving Draco the head of the family. Draco spoke at length with both Astoria and Narcissa about his decision to file for a divorce and with a hefty vault of galleons, Astoria agreed to go quietly if Draco took the blame. And so he did, like everything else in his life, it was after all his fault. Draco loathed his cowardly characteristics but he always gave up in the end. He just wasn't a fighter. He wanted to find her. To fight for her. He had searched every community he could ever think of her mentioning. Even one's she hadn't but she was nowhere to be found.

And so here he was. Wandering down a beach. On Ile de Porquerolles. Sort of , kind of drunk. After all, this was the place where his once hopeful looking life had fallen to pieces right in front of his eyes. Draco knew he had to find her. He knew she wouldn't accept him right away but he was prepared to spend however many years it took proving to her that he didn't care about anyone else. He was dying to see her.

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Draco walked until he knew not where he was. Draco thought until he could think no more. Draco listened until all that remained was the sound of the waves breaking on the rocks around him. Such a beautiful place. "This is a beautiful place to die", he thought to himself. "A beautiful place to be reborn," was whispered back to him from the void. The void sounded suspiciously like her but surely, he had simply gazed too long at it. Surely now it gazed at him. More than that, the abyss knew what to say to seduce him away into nothingness. Just as Draco realized he could not feel his toes, he heard the most beautiful music and laughter coming from somewhere nearby. Draco listened for some time before his feet, again carried him away. This time, he hoped, in the direction of that sweet melody. As Draco walked on, he thought he saw smoke. Draco realized what he originally believed to be music and laughter could be cries for help. This far out, it was hard to tell. Draco's heart began pounding in his chest, he could feel his body warm up and he began to sweat. This was normally the part where he walked away to save himself, but this time, he tucked his hand into his hidden wand holster, prepared to whip out his hawthorne if need be to save these people. For her. For the little part of him that could still be good to her. For the little part of him that wanted to be better.

Draco charged over a mound of sand to find several people dancing around a bonfire. He took in the scene and relaxed his hold on his wand. A fiddle player sat on a neatly overturned log. The tune of a tango blended seamlessly into the melodies of ocean and nature. Men and women sat around a bonfire laughing and sharing drinks between them. Several of the attendees of the make shift party were dancing around the fire. One particular person stood out, not only in her style of dress, but his eyes were continuously called to observe her in her natural habitat. Her dark hair glinted in the light of the fire. Her tiny frame swayed side to side casually with the grace of a swan. She appeared lost in her only little world, others appeared entranced by her presentation and Draco hadn't realized how hypnotized he was until the familiar warmth of a fire began to heat his clothes. The heat of the flame began to lick his skin. Or was it her? Just as he went to talk to her She spun around with a smile in her eyes; "Catch me if you can." She laughed, and took off running up the beach.

Draco's heart stopped and the earth ceased to spin. It was her. How could this be? How could they be here at the same time? After the failed engagement announcement, she said she'd never come back here. Yet, here she was. Draco was in such a state of shock that he almost forgot to chase her, but as always, his legs seemed to know what to do. His legs dwarfed hers and he had taken up running while they had been together, a habit he'd kept up after their break-up like everything else, to honor her. Draco caught her and wrapped her up in his arms. "It's you," He breathed. "Really you". He said as he pressed his face into her wild dark curls. He inhaled the familiar scent and his heart stopped again. "I must be dead," he whispered. "I prayed to anyone who would listen to please let me have you in the next world." "oh please, you are far from dead, _mon cheri,_ you are in France. _"_ Like you'd have allowed your body to perish anywhere other than Wiltshire," she sighed rolling out of his arms.

"Dance with me", she said softly, her body continuing its soft sway from earlier. Her white pants, blew in the breeze with her, white tank top clinging to her sensual curves. She already knew he'd dance. Dancing was her favorite pastime. He took up her hand and twirled her through the sand effortlessly. They had gotten so good at dancing they didn't need to open their eyes any more. Draco relished the feeling of her in his arms.

"Hermione, I-"

"Shh, don't" she interrupted. "Not just yet." She whispered as she clung to him.

They danced for some time until the weight of the situation began to press on him. He needed her forgiveness. He needed to prove himself to the both of them. He needed her to know that it was always her. That she was the great love of her life and that he wanted a life with her. However long it took to obtain.

"I do forgive you and I love you too," she breathed.

Draco dropped to his knees and cried as he pressed his face against her hip.

An ocean breeze blew past them again and they resumed their tango.

"How did you- why are you here?" He asked incredulously.

"I've been waiting for you." She said, "We can't let anything stop us Draco."

"What do you mean you've been waiting for me? You mean you knew I'd come? That's impossible. I didn't even know I'd come."

"You always said I knew you better than you knew yourself." She smirked. "You said a lot of things. We made a lot of promises we couldn't keep," she offered, a sad look playing in her eyes. "But that's all over. You're here now and we're all we have." The sadness faded into almost nothing as she smiled.

Draco knew it couldn't be this easy. Draco knew that this was too good to be true. His Hermione needed copious explanations for errant behavior. She would never just let it go. He must be dancing with a demon. It must be out to get him. He wasn't sure if he minded.

"What do you meant we're all we have?"

"I mean do you love me, Draco?" She stopped to stare up at him.

"yes." he answered without missing a beat.

"Do you want to be with me forever?"

"Absolutely."

"Have children someday?" She asked.

"With you. Yes. I want you. Every teeny tiny little part of you I can have. Forever Hermione."

He saw the fire in her eyes reignite along with something else, something vaguely more dangerous.

"Then forever we have," she said, smile playing on her lips and she leaned up and pulled his face down for a kiss.

Draco returned the kiss with equal fervor. He could smell the fire burning the logs. Draco could hear the waves crashing. Draco could taste the ocean salt on the breeze. Then he felt a searing pain tear through him. The blinding pain seemed to be originating at the notch in the base of his neck. Draco mused to himself that dying to see her had been worth it as it all faded to black.


End file.
